EdTPA Indirect Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Predator vs. Prey

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Central Focus/Big Idea: Students will learn what causes an increase/decrease in predator or prey in an
ecosystem and the effects.
Subject of this lesson: Science
Grade Level: 5th grade
NC Essential Standard(s): 5.L.2 Understand the interdependence of plants and
animals with their ecosystem.
Next Generation Science Standard(s): 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of
matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving: Students will have to think reasonably and
logically to come up with a feasible outcome of the different problems/scenarios assessed in class.
Communication: Students will have to discuss with their peers what the correct answer is in the different
scenarios given in class. Students will discuss the effect of an imbalance of predator/prey in a specific
ecosystem and what the results would be.
Academic Language Demand

Language Function: In the table below highlight the one most important language function for
your lesson. Explain why you chose this. Students will predict what will happen in different
scenarios what will happen if there are too many or too few predators or prey in an ecosystem and
what will happen as a result.

Analyze
Interpret

Argue
Predict

Categorize
Question

Compare/contrast
Retell

Describe
Summarize

Explain

Scientific Vocabulary: What are the key scientific terms that your students will learn through this
lesson? Predator/Prey/ecosystem

Instructional Objective: Students will be able to predict what will happen if there is an increase or
decrease in a predator/prey population in a specific ecosystem individually with 80 percent accuracy.
Prior Knowledge (student): Students will know what certain organisms can be considers predators or
prey.
Content Knowledge (teacher): The teacher should know what would cause an increase/decrease in prey
populations as well as predator populations.

Accommodations for special needs (individual and/or small group): Students may work in small groups
with teacher, use native languages, and work in partners.
Materials and Technology requirements: Teacher will need four poster boards (Increase Predators,
Decrease Predators, Increase Prey, Decrease Prey) for each four sides of the walls in the classroom,
worksheets
Total Estimated Time: 45 mins- 1 hour
Source of lesson: self/colleague
Safety considerations: Students will not run to their answers be courteous of others around them

Content and Strategies (Procedure)

In your procedure, be sure to include all of the following 5 Es. Your procedure should be detailed
enough for a colleague to follow. If you will be relying on technology (e.g., a YouTube video), describe
your back up plan thoroughly. Imagine your most novice colleague needing to teach from your plan.
Dont just answer the questions. Additionally, I expect you to include possible questions you could ask for
each section. This needs to include higher-order questions.

Engage: Teacher will review with students what is a predator and what is prey? Can you give examples?
What would happen if there are too many bunnies in a meadow? What would happen to the fox
population? Why? Explain your thinking
Explore: Students will be active in an interactive game. The games is proceeded like this: each wall in
the classroom will have a different answer (Increase Predators, Decrease Predators, Increase Prey,
Decrease Prey), the teacher will call out a certain scenario and when the teacher is finished the students
will have to decide what the answer is and explain their thinking. Teacher will ask questions such as
What will happen to the fox population if the rabbit population start to decline in the area? Move to your
answer and raise your hand if you can explain to me why. Why would this be the answer? How do
you know?
Explanation: The students will turn and talk and discuss with a partner what would happen if a certain
animal population increases or decreases. What would that mean for their community? What animals
would start to die off? What animals would thrive?
Elaborate: Students will complete worksheet analyzing a graph on the decline and rise of a lynx and
hare population over time. The students will complete the questions that follow such as What can you
tell me from the graph? Explain the relationship. Then answer true/false questions about three different
scenarios on predator/prey.

Evaluate: Students progress will be tracked informally based on their answers during Explore, formally
and summative through the worksheet during elaborate, and formatively through questioning for
conceptual understanding.
To be complete after the lesson is taught as appropriate
Assessment Results of all objectives/skills: 90% students received a 100 on the worksheet and 10%
received an 80 on the worksheet.
Reflection on lesson:
CT signature/confirmation: _________________________________ Date: ________________